Listings that offer shipping discounts say "Save on shipping." When your shipping discounts are set up and activated, we automatically calculate and deduct them from the total shipping cost. The discount is shown to buyers when they complete payment.

You can offer several kinds of shipping discounts:

Flat shipping rules

Calculated shipping rules

Carrier-specific discounts

Promotional shipping rules

If you tell buyers how to get shipping discounts, you may want to suggest they add all their items to the shopping cart. If you don't use the Combined shipping discounts feature, buyers must click Request Total in the cart to get an invoice reflecting their shipping discount.

Creating flat shipping rules

Flat shipping rules let you offer discounts when someone buys more than one of your items. You can set up your rules to charge your buyer for shipping the item with the highest shipping cost, and add an additional, lower charge for each additional item. You can also subtract shipping charges for each extra item, or offer free shipping on additional items. If you subtract a particular amount, you can make it a fixed amount or a percentage of the shipping charge.

Example 1: In anticipation of a buyer purchasing 3 items, you can set up a rule to charge the shipping amount for the item with the highest shipping cost, plus an additional $1 for each extra item.

Example 2: In anticipation of a buyer purchasing 3 items, you can set up a rule to charge shipping on the item with the highest shipping cost, and then charge $1 less than that amount for each additional item purchased.

To create flat shipping rules:

Go to My eBay > Account > Site Preferences.

Next to Shipping Preferences, click Show.

Next to Offer combined payments and shipping, click Edit.

Under Flat shipping rule, click Edit or Create.

Create a new shipping rule or edit the details on your existing rule.

To create additional profiles with different flat-shipping-rule dollar amounts, click Add profile (advanced) and fill in the details.

Click Next, review your rules, and click Save.

Tip: To offer free shipping for additional items, select Add an amount for each additional item from the drop-down menu, and then select the Free shipping option.

Creating calculated shipping rules

Calculated shipping rules let you combine multiple purchases from a buyer in one shipment, which is generally less expensive than shipping items separately. If you set up calculated shipping rules, you can either:

Automatically combine the weights of all the items in one shipment

Automatically combine the weights of the items in one shipment and subtract a weight amount (in ounces)

Example 1: In anticipation of a buyer purchasing 3 items, each weighing 5 ounces, you can set up a rule that charges shipping for a single 15-ounce shipment instead of 3 5 ounce shipments.

Example 2: In anticipation of a buyer purchasing 3 items, each weighing 5 ounces, you can set up a rule that combines the items in one 15-ounce shipment and automatically deducts 3 ounces from the total weight.

Important: Calculated shipping rules apply only to listings for which you specify calculated shipping and combined shipping discounts.

To create calculated shipping rules:

Go to My eBay > Account > Site Preferences.

Next to Shipping preferences, click Show.

Next to Offer combined payments and shipping, click Edit.

Under Calculated shipping rule, click Edit or Create.

Create a new shipping rule or edit the details on your existing rule.

To create additional profiles with different weights subtracted, click Add profile(advanced) and fill in the details.

Click Next and select your packaging and handling options.

Click Next, review your rules, and click Save.

Offering carrier-specific discounts

Example 1: You can create a rule so that when a buyer selects UPS shipping, they automatically get a 5% discount on UPS retail rates.

Example 2: You can create a rule so that when a buyer selects USPS shipping, they automatically get a 10% discount on USPS online rates.

To manage your Calculated Rates preference:

Go to My eBay > Account > Site Preferences.

Next to Shipping preferences, click Show.

Next to Offer carrier-specific discounts to buyers, click Edit.

Choose the type of discount:

Discounts on online/list/retail rates: To offer shipping discounts as a percentage on the paid-at-store rates, select the amounts of your discounts (between 5% and 70%) for domestic and international

Cheaper rates: Offer published online rates for USPS, UPS (standard list rates), or both.Click the Show link to the right of the Shipping Preferences section.

Click Save Settings.

Changes are automatically applied to all your current listings that offer calculated shipping.

Creating promotional shipping rules

When you create a promotional shipping rule, you can offer buyers discounts when they buy multiple items or spend a certain amount. You can also specify a maximum shipping amount for a single order.

Example 1: You can create a rule that gives buyers free shipping when they spend at least $25 and buy 2 items.

Example 2: You can create a rule that buyers be charged no more than $5.00 for shipping if they buy more than one item.

Note: Listings must be revised and Apply my promotional shipping rule must be selected for a promotional shipping rule to apply to active listings.

Managing profiles

Profiles are a way to manage shipping discounts. Give each discount type a name that's easy to remember so you can quickly select a profile while listing an item.

You can create profiles for two types of shipping discounts:

Flat shipping rules

Calculated shipping rules for which a specified weight is automatically subtracted from the total

To create a promotional shipping rule with a profile name:

Go to My eBay > Account > Site Preferences.

Next to Shipping preferences, click Show.

Next to Offer combined payments and shipping, click Edit.

If you want to add profiles to your rule, click the Create profiles (advanced) link.

Enter a name for your profile that's easy for you to remember.

Enter the information for your discount and click Finish.

You can delete a profile by deleting its name in your rules. When you delete a profile name, listings associated with that name no longer have shipping discounts applied to them. However, if the listing has any activity, such as a bid, then the shipping discount applies until the listing ends.

Contact Customer Support

If you're looking for more help or have a question to ask, please contact us.

Contact us

Have a question? We can help.

Contact us

Ask eBay members

Get help from other eBay members. Visit the Answer Centre to post a question.